Maldives

Maldives – Seaplanes, Turquoise Water, and Island Time

(A trip to the Maldives starts before you even reach the island)

We arrived at Malé International Airport late in the evening and couldn't catch the seaplane to our island because seaplanes only operate during daylight hours. We stayed one night at the Sheraton near Malé, got some rest, and continued the trip the next morning.
 

Getting There by Seaplane

The next morning, we boarded a seaplane followed by a speedboat to reach our island. Even though the plane was tiny, it still felt like boarding a regular flight – we even received a proper boarding pass.

Inside, there was a narrow aisle with only window seats on each side. Having the loud propeller engine right outside the window was a little scary at first, but the flight itself was pleasant with a smooth takeoff and landing.

The best part was the view. From above, you could see small islands surrounded by different shades of blue. We stopped a few times to drop off passengers at their resort pickup points before reaching ours, where a speedboat was waiting to take us to W Maldives.

Island Life

The crystal-clear turquoise water was the first thing that stood out when we arrived. Most of our trip was spent on the island, which wasn't a problem because almost everything we wanted to do was already there.

We tried different restaurants, spent time at the beach and pool, and did water activities including surfing, snorkeling, kite-surfing, and wakeboarding. I tried wakeboarding for the first time. It was fun, although I wouldn't recommend learning when the waves are strong.

One evening, we took a boat to the resort's private island for sunset. The staff left us with champagne, finger foods, and a radio to call when we were ready to return. And that was it – we had the entire island to ourselves.

I'll save the overwater villa, private pool, restaurants, and full resort experience for my W Maldives Hotel Review.

✨ Why the Maldives Works

The Maldives is different from a trip where you're moving from one attraction to another. Most of our days stayed around the island: swimming, eating, trying water sports, or simply sitting by the beach.

One afternoon, we sat at the beach bar with cocktails, watching the sunset and listening to the waves. I remember looking around and thinking this might actually be the best place on Earth.

Sometimes there really isn't anywhere else you need to be.